Nebbi, (UG): The Territorial Police in West Nile Region and Nebbi district has charged to court, a Grade II Magistrate on allegations of aiding the theft of shs 402 million money meant to compensate the community.
The Magistrate identified as Kerican Peter Prosper is accused of allegedly converting the money meant for compensating his Uncles and Aunties, for their land into his own personal use.
While in court, Mr Cyrus Ssennoga Mawano who presided over the hearing as Chief Magistrate heard that the accused (Kerican) who was mediating the land conflict between the Ministry of Defence and the 67 community members of Kwio in Angal for the compensation in relation to the damages caused by UPDF in 2003, ended up swindling the money totalling Shs402 million.
State Prosecution also contends that Kerican received the money from the Ministry of Defence to compensate the community but failed to deliver the money to the community members. This then forced the community members to seek justice through the courts.
“It was established that during the month of January 2022, at Angal Lower Parish, Nyaravur Sub-County, in Nebbi district, the beneficiaries authorised him to receive their cash compensation, through his bank Account at Housing Finance, thinking he was a trustworthy person. The money was paid to the beneficiaries by the Ministry of Defence as compensation for land acquired by the UPDF in 2001,” said Police Spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga in a Wednesday statement.
Kerican, 55, admitted having used the money for his own god and pleaded with the chief magistrate to settle the matter out court with the affected community.
“I am sorry for what happened between me and the community. And I urge the court to allow the matter to be settled outside court because I have the substantial sureties to be produced in court,” Kerican told the court before he was remanded until October 13, 2023, when he shall return to court for bail hearing.
“We are continuing to look into what he did with the money. It is painful that those who hold the sacred trust with the community instead yielded to the temptation of self-interest and wrongly assumed control over property, that he was not entitled to,” the police spokesperson said.
“We do strongly condemn such holders to trust, who betray innocent civilians.”
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